Kohala Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's break down the next two weeks for a surf. It's a rough go.

Kohala Lighthouse (Big Island) is the only break in the mix. It's an advanced reef, so you better know what you're doing. The main issue is that while there's plenty of swell, the wind is almost always blowing cross or cross-onshore, trashing the surface.

Water temp is 80°, right on the money for this time of year.

The first solid pulse shows up on the 28th of July. Tuesday morning brings a 10ft east-northeast swell with a 13-second period. The energy is strong (combined energy 2937). But the wind is cross-onshore at 16 mph, turning it into a choppy mess. The afternoon is even bigger at 12ft (combined energy 3267) but with the same messy wind. That's for experts only, and not even them will be stoked on the quality.

Wednesday the 29th morning sees the swell drop to 5ft from the east-northeast with a shorter 9-second period. The wind is a light cross-shore at 6 mph – the best wind of the whole run – but the energy is down to 486 and the short period makes it weak and bumpy. The afternoon gets a bit more size at 6ft, but the period drops to 8 seconds and the wind picks up. Still not clean.

From Thursday the 30th through the start of August, we're looking at 7ft to 8ft swell with moderate to strong cross-shore winds from the east-northeast (16-28 mph). The combined energy sits in the 670-970 range, which is moderate, but the wind keeps everything lumpy and crossed up. Periods are 7-9 seconds, so it's junky.

Into the second week, around the 4th of August, the swell eases to 6ft from the east-northeast with a better 11-second period. The energy is moderate at 760, but the wind is still a moderate to fresh cross-shore at 16-19 mph. There's texture on the surface. It's a slight improvement, but nothing to call home about.

By the 5th and 6th of August, it's getting small: 5ft down to 2ft, with periods dropping to 5-8 seconds. Energy is weak (161-392). Still cross-shore winds. This stretch frankly looks more fun for a kiteboard than a surfer.

The last few days, the 9th and 10th of August, are similar: small (4ft-5ft), short period, and cross-shore winds. Energy is weak, under 350. There is no clean window.

For a standout, I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel. Wednesday morning, July 29th, is the least ugly option. The 5ft swell with that light cross-shore wind is the cleanest it'll be all period, but it's short-period and low energy. Other than that, it's a solid two-week stretch of poor, choppy surf. The forecast's not giving us anything to get excited about.

Rusty.

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